Today the M.E.N reported that Bury Council will be the first in the country to change bin collections from once a fortnight to once every three weeks.

The reaction to the news on social media has been overwhelming and many took to Facebook to offer their opinions.

Laura Chidgey was amongst those concerned about nappies in their bins. "Ridiculous!" She wrote. "Once a fortnight is bad enough, families with babies in nappies need to have the rubbish collected once a week or at least provide a bigger bin! Totally grim!

The cats coming scratching the bags open causing more problems.

I'm currently doing a trip to the recycling centre at least once a week for my excess rubbish. What are we paying our council tax for?"

Tayrn Humpreys agreed. "This is ridiculous. We are a household of four, and we recycle everything, and yet our grey bin, at the end of the fortnight is still fit to burst. There is no recycling promotion in this, just another money saving scheme."

poll loading

Should bins be collected once every three weeks?

1000+ VOTES SO FAR

A Facebook page called "Say NO to Bury Council 3 weekly bin collection" gained over 500 likes in just two hours.

Sara Bleasdale voiced her concerns on the page: "No no no. Too many flies as it is as our rubbish sits in bins for 2 weeks and yet still I do trips to the tip . Just no thank you bury council . I say go back to black bins weekly the flies are really hacking me off."

Charlie Greenwood was happy with the change and believes that pests won't be an issue.

"I am happy with that as no food waste goes in but now in brown bin," she said. "I would like the brown bin collected more as it does smell a bit. Not sure why people are complaining about pest being attracted by this change, if you are doing it properly nothing to attract pests should go in it!"

The switch from fortnightly collections is being made in the hope that there will be an increase in recycling rates but Damian Boote from Bury believes that fly-tipping will increase as a result of the changes:

Some believe that the idea will be implemented by other councils.

David White said, "It won't be long before other east lancs councils follow suit... will in the long run cause more fly tipping and surely its a health and safety risk..."